State of the World 2013 - The Anti-Apocalypse

The State of the World Report

2013

The Anti-Apocalypse

After a rather lackluster global hurricane season this year, I decided to look into how the rest of the worlds disasters fared statistically in 2013. Nearly every kind of disaster saw a decrease in activity this year, with some even having some historical significance. [Note: The last time both the Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons both averaged below normal was 1977] Other notables include: Lowest Tornado Numbers in US since 2005 and the Lowest Forest Fire Numbers since 1989. Most totals rang in lower with some exceptions: Solar and Volcanic Activity still saw a small uptick recently. While the statistics show that natural disasters are on a decline, there were still many tragic disasters that did occur this year. After the 'Statistics' section of this report is a look at the worst disaster of 2013. 

Statistics 2013

Global Earthquake Total - Yearly Comparison

Global Hurricane ACE - Atlantic/Pacific Comparison

Global Tornado Totals - Euro/ US Comparison

US Forest Fires Rates

 Global Temperature Statistics

 

US Flood/Drought Yearly Comparison

Solar Activity in 2013

Volcanic Activity At A Glance

*An up to date volcano eruption chart was unavailable, please note this only goes until 2010.

 The Worst Disaster of 2013

 Typhoon Haiyan

Typhoon Haiyan was a pacific 'hurricane' that effected several countries (Micronesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Southern China, Taiwan) in November of this year for 8 days . It is thought to be one of the strongest hurricanes that has ever hit land, but as every country measures storms differently it is hard to get a consensus on that matter as it ties closely with several other storms. The preliminary damage estimates caused by Haiyan exceed 1.5 Billion US dollars, although it is still fairly early for those estimates to be entirely accurate. The death toll caused by Haiyan is currently over 6,100+ people and rising, with over 1,500 people still missing. The highest winds measured during the storm were as followed: 1 Min Sustained - 195 MPH, 10 Min Sustained - 145 MPH. The lowest recorded internal pressure of Haiyan is estimated to be around 895 MB at peak intensity. Just under 200 Millions Dollars was raised from countries worldwide to help support relief efforts, although this figure does not include charity donations, etc.

xoxo disaster girl

P.F.S. Links for the Curious
2013 Earthquakes At-A-Glance
2013 Atlantic Season At-A-Glance
ACE Total Archives
DG TDC - The Year Without a 'Cane
2013 Tornadoes At-A-Glance
US Forest Fire Statistics
US 2013 State of the Climate Report
Typhoon Haiyan Wiki
 

5 More Abandoned by the World - Apocalypse Now Photo Series - Part 2

Apocalypse Now 

 

Continuing with the Abandoned by the World - Apocalypse Now Photo Series, here we take another look at more of the world's breathtaking forgotten places. If you missed the first part of this series please stop here and read THIS LINK. With places like these readily available and scattered throughout the world- the apocalypse doesn't t necessarily have to happen for you to get a taste of it. Notice: Some of the places that are listed throughout this series have been either restricted, closed, or marked unsafe for humans to enter, however at one point in time someone was able to get in to take some pictures. This photo series continues for one last round on January 5th, 2014- so don't forget to stop back after New Years!

Wonderland Amusement Park, Chenzhuang, China

 Wonderland Amusement Park

Centralia, Pennsylvania

Centralia Pennsylvania

Oradour-sur-Glane, France

Oradour-sur-Glane, France

Ochamchira, Abkhazia

Ochamchira, Abkhazia

Newnes, New South Wales - Australia

Newnes Ghost Town

xoxo disaster girl

The Church of Google - Googlism, A Modern Day Tech Religion

THE CHURCH OF GOOGLE

& GOOGLISM

"We at the Church of Google believe the search engine Google is the closest humankind has ever come to directly experiencing an actual God (as typically defined). We believe there is much more evidence in favor of Google's divinity than there is for the divinity of other more traditional gods.

We reject supernatural gods on the notion they are not scientifically provable. Thus, Googlists believe Google should rightfully be given the title of "God", as She exhibits a great many of the characteristics traditionally associated with such Deities in a scientifically provable manner. We have compiled a list of nine proofs which definitively prove Google is the closest thing to a "god" human beings have ever directly experienced.

Proof Google Is God...

PROOF #1

Google is the closest thing to an Omniscient (all-knowing) entity in existence, which can be scientifically verified. She indexes over 9.5 billion WebPages, which is more than any other search engine on the web today. Not only is Google the closest known entity to being Omniscient, but She also sorts through this vast amount of knowledge using Her patented PageRank technology, organizing said data and making it easily accessible to us mere mortals.

PROOF #2

Google is everywhere at once (Omnipresent). Google is virtually everywhere on earth at the same time. Billions of indexed Webpages hosted from every corner of the earth. With the proliferation of Wi-Fi networks, one will eventually be able to access Google from anywhere on earth, truly making Her an omnipresent entity.

PROOF #3

Google answers prayers. One can pray to Google by doing a search for whatever question or problem is plaguing them. As an example, you can quickly find information on alternative cancer treatments, ways to improve your health, new and innovative medical discoveries and generally anything that resembles a typical prayer. Ask Google and She will show you the way, but showing you is all She can do, for you must help yourself from that point on.

PROOF #4

Google is potentially immortal. She cannot be considered a physical being such as ourselves. Her Algorithms are spread out across many servers; if any of which were taken down or damaged, another would undoubtedly take its place. Google can theoretically last forever.

PROOF #5

Google is infinite. The Internet can theoretically grow forever, and Google will forever index its infinite growth.

PROOF #6

Google remembers all. Google caches Webpages regularly and stores them on its massive servers. In fact, by uploading your thoughts and opinions to the internet, you will forever live on in Google's cache, even after you die, in a sort of "Google Afterlife".

PROOF #7

Google can "do no evil" (Omnibenevolent). Part of Google's corporate philosophy is the belief that a company can make money without being evil.

PROOF #8

According to Google trends, the term "Google" is searched for more than the terms "God", "Jesus", "Allah", "Buddha", "Christianity", "Islam", "Buddhism" and "Judaism" combined.

God is thought to be an entity in which we mortals can turn to when in a time of need. Google clearly fulfills this to a much larger degree than traditional "gods", as shown in the image below (click to enlarge).

PROOF #9

Evidence of Google's existence is abundant.

There is more evidence for the existence of Google than any other God worshiped today. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. If seeing is believing, then surf over to www.google.com and experience for yourself Google's awesome power. No faith required.

-The Church of Google

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

1. Thou shalt have no other Search Engine before me, neither Yahoo nor Lycos, AltaVista nor Metacrawler. Thou shalt worship only me, and come to Google only for answers.
2. Thou shalt not build thy own commercial-free Search Engine, for I am a jealous Engine, bringing law suits and plagues against the fathers of the children unto the third and fourth generations.
3. Thou shalt not use Google as a verb to mean the use of any lesser Search Engine.
4. Thou shalt remember each passing day and use thy time as an opportunity to gain knowledge of the unknown.
5. Thou shalt honor thy fellow humans, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or race, for each has invaluable experience and knowledge to contribute toward humankind.
6. Thou shalt not misspell whilst praying to me.
7. Thou shalt not hotlink.
8. Thou shalt not plagiarize or take undue credit for others work.
9. Thou shalt not use reciprocal links nor link farms, for I am a vengeful but fair engine and will diminish thy PageRank. The Google Dance shall cometh. 
10. Thou shalt not manipulate Search Results. Search Engine Optimization is but the work of Microsoft.

Seriously though, this is like the best thing ever. Please check out the full site below, which is listed in the Links for the Curious section of this post. The comedic gold continues there, and in all honestly- however how amusing this may be.. it's actually quite true. Google is a god, and she's freaking awesome.

xoxo disaster girl

P.F.S. Links for the Curious

The Church of Google 

2013 - The Year Without a 'Cane

Le Sigh, Hurricane Season is Over 

The Last Four Atlantic Hurricane Seasons

Well that was a bit of a disappointment to say the least. The Atlantic 2013 hurricane season began this year with its first storm Tropical Storm Andrea a mere five days after its start. What was forecasted to be a busy season in the TSR review (Tropical Storm Risk Review) was actually well below average but the Atlantic basin was not alone. Even the last below average season the Atlantic saw in 2009 had a whole lot more action than the 2013 season did - 2009 Summary.

This season produced barely a hurricane, with only two forming that either didn't hit US land (Hurricane Ingrid - Mexico), or barely sustained hurricane status for long (Hurricanes Ingrid & Humberto). The tropical storm total rang low this year as well with a total of 13 tropical storms compared to last years 20 tropical storms and 10 hurricanes. Below is a closer look at the ACE data, or the Accumulated Cyclone Energy which uses wind measurements to both measure a storm and an entire season.

2013 World Hurricane Season At A Glance

Atlantic Hurricane Season - ACE - Below Normal - 28% of Average

Pacific Hurricane Season -  MEAN ACE - Below Normal - EST 77% of Average

Global Hurricane Season - ACE - 74% of Average

With no El Nino surface temperatures it has been difficult for forecasters and meteorologists to pin down exactly why this season has slowed down. This years slump also has meteorologists questioning whether or not climate change matters should be factored in at all, with many adding that this level of inactivity has never been seen with ocean conditions as they were this year. In June of 2014 we will usher in the next hurricane season, I have my fingers crossed that it's not as unremarkable as this season was & hope that I can bring the Video/Live Coverage back with some cool stuff.

Until Next Year!

xoxo disaster girl

P.F.S. Links for the Curious

2013 Atlantic Hurricane Season 

ACE GUIDE 

Forget the Yellowstone Supervolcano - Meet Tamu Massif, Set to be the Earth's First Megavolcano

Tamu Massif

WILL THIS BE THE WORLD'S FIRST MEGAVOLCANO?

William Sager, a marine geologist working at the University of Houston, has been working on an extinct volcano at the bottom of the ocean for quite a long time now- 20 years to be exact. In 1993, while working at Texas A&M University (TAMU for short), Mr. Sager began studying what he now believes to be the world's first megavolcano. What began as an look into the Shatsky Rise, an oceanic plateau which lies almost a thousand miles east of Japan, later became a search for proof that he had found the universe's second largest megavolcano- only dwarfed by Olympus Mons on Mars.

While most news sources are reporting that this is already the world's largest volcano and it very well may be- it is important to note that this has not been entirely proven to date. In fact, the only two forms of scientific evidence presented basically contradict each other. While sonar says that there are multiple peaks to the volcano- suggesting that it has more than one lava vent, core samples suggest that it is all the same rock, and of the same age. Exploring and understanding Tamu Massif isn't exactly an easy feat though, especially considering the fact that humanity has only explored roughly less than 5% of the Earth's oceans. While concrete answers on this extinct volcano that lies 6,500 feet below the surface are probably a long way off from current times, most of modern day science seems comfortable accepting Tamu Massif as the reigning champ.

TAMU MASSIF - UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

NAME: Tamu Massif

LOCATION: 30N 158E - Shatsky Rise, Pacific Ocean

DEPTH: 6,500 FT Below Ocean Surface

HEIGHT: 14,620 FT

BIRTH: 145 Million Years Ago

EXTINCTION: Est. 140 Million Years Ago

TYPE: Submarine Shield Volcano

ACTIVITY: Extinct

I wonder what else is lurking just beneath the surface..

xoxo disaster girl

P.F.S. Links for the Curious

Underwater Volcano is Earth's Biggest 

New Giant Volcano Below Sea is the Largest in the World 

Tamu Massif Wiki
Shatsky Rise Wiki
William Sager's TAMU Page 

I Want to Live on Mars - Up Close & Personal with a Mars One Applicant

Meet Amulya Nidhi Rastogi

A Mars One Applicant

Name: Amulya Nidhi Rastogi

Age: 20 Years Old

Sex: Male

From: India
 

Language: English

Field of Study: Mechanical Engineering

Highlighted Personal Interests: Singing, Working Out, Writing, Animals, Weather, Food, Exploring, Philosophy, the Outdoors

 

From Amulya's Application:

Why did you apply for Mars One?
There comes a time in a person’s life when they realize their purpose and do whatever it takes to help better understand it and achieve it. This is my purpose. I’ve always waited and prepared myself for this opportunity.
What scares you most about the mission?
I won’t be afraid of anything if I’m chosen. I’m afraid of spending the rest of my life on Earth.
What will you miss the most on Earth?
I will miss swimming the most.
What do you bring to the table?
The two things that I have and the two things that matter the most for the success of this mission are: mental stability and patience. I also have hope.
If you could bring three things with you to Mars, what would they be?
1) A gold ring my grandmother gave me; 2) a cat, and 3) South Indian food.
Fun fact: I am always trying to become Batman. To me, the seven-year training period of Mars One is similar to the seven- to eight-year training period that Bruce Wayne (Batman) went through.

Via Buzzfeed 

Amulya's Video Application

Amulya's Mars One Application 

Back Story on the Mars One Mission:   In 2012 Bas Lansdorp, a Dutch entrepreneur, announced that his non-profit organization Mars One would be sending 24 people (4 people in each of the 6 separate trips) on a one way trip to the red planet for ten years between 2023 and 2033. Applications were open to the public for a period of just over 4 months, ending August 31st of 2013. Applicants will undergo a training process for quite some time before they are actually chosen for the mission, all applicants will find out whether they've been chosen in July of 2015. The plans for the Mars One mission include building a settlement on the red planet for humans in the future, with completely sustainable systems on site. Chosen applicants are told that they will never return to Earth, so the decision to even apply for this opportunity is a heavy one- even so over 2,500 people applied (including almost 25% Americans). Similar missions to Mars include: Inspiration Mars, which is a project that will take couples on a 501 day fly-by of the red planet.

GOOD LUCK AMULYA!

xoxo disaster girl

P.F.S. Links for the Curious

Mars One Wiki 

Mars One Official Website 

5 Places Abandoned by the World - Apocalypse Now Photo Series - Part 1

Apocalypse Now

In abandoned areas all over the world you can get the sights and feeling of the apocalypse without ever really having to live through it yourself. While some of the areas mentioned throughout this photo series are closed, restricted, or have been deemed unsafe for the public- at one time or another someone got in long enough to snap a couple shots.* The adventurer in me says screw the rules, and trek on my fellow salvage ethnographists! The Abandoned Places- Apocalypse Now photo series will continue from now through January 2013! Check back every month for a new post!

Christ of the Abyss - San Fruttuoso, Italy

Christ of the Abyss

Kolmanskop - Namib Desert, Southern Africa

Kolmanskop

Angkor Wat - Angkor, Cambodia

Angkor Wat

Closest City to Chernobyl - Pripyat, Ukraine

Pripyat

Disaster Girl - Jiri Vanek Ghost Town Series - Pripyat/Chernobyl Photo Series

North Brother Island - New York, USA

North Brother Island

xoxo disaster girl

*I never said safely.

Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy - One Year Later - A Look Back

Aftermath of Superstorm Sandy

One Year Later - A Look Back

Superstorm Sandy as she heads towards NYC/NJ

Sandy started as a low pressure system that first formed into a tropical depression on October 22nd, 2012 just south of Jamaica. As it progressed north  Sandy yo-yo'ed from hurricane status to extratropical, to tropical storm conditions back to hurricane status. At peak intensity Hurricane Sandy reached sustained winds of 115 MPH, had a lowest internal pressure of 940 millibars, and was roughly moving between 10-20 MPH through the Atlantic ocean.

Sandy's Long and Variable Track to NJ

Hurricane Sandy affected a total of 9 different countries, killing at least 280 people and injuring over a dozen. The United States had at least 24 states effected in this storm, which later ends up becoming the 2nd costliest hurricane in US history, behind only Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Sandy causes an estimated 65 billion dollars worth of destruction in her wake.

Superstorm Sandy as seen from NY

Hurricane Sandy topped out at a Category 3 hurricane, it was the 10th hurricane of the year- and the second most powerful of the 2012 hurricane season. Sandy made not one but three landfalls during her travels through the Atlantic- one in Jamaica on 10/24/2012, one in Cuba on 10/25/2012, and one in New Jersey on 10/29/2012. At its widest, Sandy covered 820 miles- more than double of Hurricane Isaac and Irene combined.

Manhattan without power Post-Sandy

Hurricane Sandy also directly and indirectly killed tens of thousands of animals during the storm, the most alarming of those numbers where the research animals that were just left to die in cages by the thousands. In the midst of despair and destruction however, life continued and several babies were born. Sandy is also 'blamed' for a baby boom that took place in NJ 9 months after the destruction.

Aerial View of Damage

Hurricane Sandy was deemed 'Superstorm Sandy' because of the unusual pattern of the storm, other names for the storm included Snowicane Sandy, Frankenstorm, and Snor'eastercane Sandy. Not only did Sandy go against normal jet stream patterns because of a 'wall' over Greenland, but it also combined with a stalled Arctic front- giving us Superstorm Sandy. Along with Superstorm Sandy, the NY/NJ area saw a 13 foot storm surge which was likely increased due to rising sea levels in the last hundred years.

Aerial View of NJ Boardwalk Before and After Sandy

Superstorm Sandy caused an estimated 8,000,000,000+ homes to be without power throughout 17 states, even as far as Michigan. There were still people in NJ the day before Thanksgiving that still did not have any power. An estimated 10,000 plus turkeys were donated by City Harvest to help families in need during the holiday. It took 57,000 workers from 30 different states and Canada to finally get the power restored to New York City alone. 12 people died of carbon monoxide poising from not realizing they had to vent their portable generators fumes outside.

Flooded Subway Systems in Manhattan

FEMA received over 125,000 applications for assistance post-Sandy, and received over $100 million dollars to help those in need. The Red Cross passed out well over 100,000 comfort kits in the days after Sandy. There was also a gas shortage for a week in the Tri-State area due to the storm, and lines that ended in riots and fights. The gas ration last in NYC for 15 days, NJ for 11, and Long Island for 9.

Debris washed up along Shore line

Superstorm Sandy shut down the New York Stock Exchange for 2 days causing an estimated 25 billion worth of lost activity, an event that hadn't been seen in over 120 years. The US Supreme Court was also shut down for a day during Sandy. Travel by air, rail, bus, and road was shut down for days, affecting well over 1 million travelers, and a total of almost 20,000 flights had been canceled because of the storm. Social networking flourished in these times- with over 600 Sandy related photos being uploaded every minute, and more than 20 million tweets during the 2 days before and after the storm hit.

Cars Submerged by storm surge flooding in NYC

President Obama signed Emergency Declarations ahead of the storm, allowing some states to take extra measures against the storm. The President also put an estimated 45,000 National Guardsmen and Air Force members on alert across 7 states to help out during and in the wake of the storm. 5 US states issued both suggested and mandatory evacuation orders a head of the storm.

Sandy storm surge causing damage along coastline of NY

Sandy cancelled and/or postponed Halloween for millions of children across several states- the likes to which most had never seen. Well over 1,500 FEMA members were deployed to help out with post-Sandy related work, the Red Cross sent about 4,000 workers in as well. Federal search and rescue task forces were also sent to the Mid-Atlantic region to help out. A television music special aired to raise funds for the Red Cross and Sandy relief efforts, an estimated 23 million dollars was raised, also Disney/ABC raised 17 million for disaster relief.

Flooded Streets in NY

Scientists later found that the energy released by Superstorm Sandy would be that of a 2-3 magnitude earthquake. NJ closed all of its Atlantic City Casinos, and a 50 foot piece of boardwalk is ripped off their shoreline. 10 billion gallons of raw sewage was released into the waters surrounding NY/NJ during Sandy- the East River overflowed its banks as well as the Hudson River in NJ. 

Destroyed Roller Coaster on Pier in NJ Shore

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Ohio lost its siding, Lake Huron saw 23 foot waves, and a foot of snow fell because of Sandy in Kentucky. Hundreds of flights were cancelled in Canada, and thousand lost power. A huge amount of people were affected by Superstorm Sandy, and because of that it will never be forgotten. the World Meteorological Organization retired the name Sandy in 2012- replacing it with Sara for future storms. To this day over one-fourth of the people displaced by Sandy haven't returned to their homes. Remember that the next time the big one rolls through.

 If you live in the Tri-State are please read:
The Big One - Aaron Naparstek

&& Remember, always be prepared!

xoxo disaster girl

Stephen King's Under The Dome Comes to Life - Houston Plans Dome City

Houston wants to build a big ole' dome to 'protect its citizens', of course. Houston should probably let neighboring towns like Sugarland, Pearland, Pasadena, and  La Porte know that they'll be breaching a couple city land boundaries to make this all possible though. While the idea of finally protecting infrastructure that is greatly hindered by natural disasters and severe weather, I still firmly believe that there are other ways to shelter and save without going to the ridiculous length of cutting off an area of civilization from the outside world. This isn't the first time that a dome city was proposed here in the US, and actually this will be the third time that it was suggested and (more than likely) forgotten, at least one would hope.

The first time a desire to dome a city for its own well being came out was back in the 1960s when President Buckminster Fuller (Yea, I know.. Who?) suggested that Midtown Manhattan be domed for weather reasons and pollution reduction. Obviously that idea was shot down, as Midtown doesn't have a dome nowadays- but it's pretty interesting to think about what would have happened to the city if it was approved. The second time it was suggested was in Winooski, Vermont where the locals wanted to reduce heating costs in the winter months, it was later decided that it a pretty extreme idea to cut costs. Now Houston wants one, so that they can protect the city and its people from severe weather, natural disasters and infrastructure damage.

Elsewhere in the world, where stupidity is obviously very lacking, a dome has only been suggested once. And as luck would have it the Siberians who thought of it were smart enough to know that it wasn't a people protector, but rather a pretty useless protector of a large hole that no one was really bothering with. *Ahem.. Houston, Do you copy?*

Apparently though someone from Houston was pretty impressed when China placed a 'dome' in the Olympics to save on energy costs (Okay, I know, it was a cube.) and since China pretty much owns us anyway- Houston said 'Hey! Let's Give it a Go!". Hopefully they really think this stuff out though, and if not I'm sure Steven Spielberg can make it a movie- and Disney/Epcot can make it a theme park.

Discovery Channel Houston Dome Coverage

 Which big city facing common natural disaster threats will be domed next?

xoxo disaster girl

P.F.S. Links for the Curious
Concerns about Dome Project Voiced
Houston Plans to Dome City
Domed City Wiki
Beijing National Aquativs Center (Summer 2008 Olympics)

Disaster Kit Recommendations - Duct Tape, Duct Tape, and More Duct Tape!

There's no such thing as having too much duct tape!

Duct tape is literally the worlds most versatile product that I can think of with its uses being literally boundless, and countless new ideas flooding reality daily. Personally, I can think of at least a couple dozen situations where duct tape helped me out greatly. The last being the giant spider on my 12 foot ceiling, combined with a swifter dry sweeper.. well let's just say that spider had seen better days. Below is a ridiculously long list of the survival uses of duct tape, and a few notable ones I threw in for good measure. Be forewarned though, using duct tape on a regular basis can lead to strange things..

The Many, Many, Many Uses of Duct Tape

1. Fixing tears/holes/breaks in just about anything. (Tents, boats, glasses, pools, clothing, roofs, house siding, garbage cans, screens, arrows, window cracks, minor car issues, poles, sleeping bags, water bottles, boxes, backpacks, etc.)
2. Make a rope, clothesline,cords, ETC.
3. Create butterfly bandages, and regular band-aids when in a bind. You can also use rolled up sections to pad/prevent a blister!
4. Use duct tape to line the interior of clothes/boots/shelter when extra insulation is needed! Exterior when waterproofing is needed!
5. Making/adding/attaching shelter elements to where you're staying. (I.E. stringing lights, attaching hidden weapons, etc)
6. Make cups, plates, hats, clothing, handcuffs, shoes, sandals, CPR masks, paddles, reflective signaling, harnesses, sandbags, sunglasses, wallets, utility belts, first aid slings, containers, etc.. this list literally goes on and on.
7. Resealing packages/containers- especially FOOD packages when camping outdoors!
8. Use duct tape to reinforce knots when unsure of their durability.
9. Use it to write with (by making the letters out of tape) or to write on!
10. Hanging tape works great as a fly and mosquito catcher! You can attach small dots of sugar to attract them as well!
11. Spear making! Use duct tape to attach your knife to a study stick and you now have a spear!
12. Wrap a sprained ankle, broken wrist- use it to attach a stick to splint broken bones to keep them stabilized.
13. Use duct tape to mark a trail when hiking and traveling (or a fake trail if you think you're being followed :)
14. Wadded up duct tape can be used as a fire starter when you have no other options!
15. Use it to seal off clothing cuffs to prevent nasty tick bites, and more.

 

xoxo disaster girl

Future Troopers - The Human Interference Task Force - Protecting Humanity from Stupidity Since 1981

 

The Human Interference Task Force

The Human Interference Task Force or HITF is just as it sounds, a group of people who are tasked with coming up with ways to protect humanity from itself. HITF was commissioned by the US Department of Energy and Bechtel Corporation in 1981 after it became apparent that long term efforts would be needed to protect future humans from nuclear waste leftover and 'hidden' on Earth specifically the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in the US. Based on the fact that some radioactive isotopes can survive for 24,000 years (I.E. plutonium), HITF was created to come up with ways to continue warning people of the dangers of these nuclear waste repositories long after 'we' (the current and next generations) were gone. Since language has changed so much even in the last 1,0000 years with many dying or already dead, the DOE gathered scientists, linguists, archaeologists, engineers, science fiction writers, anthropologists, nuclear physicists, futurists, behavioural scientists, as well as many others to come up with ways of getting the message across in the long term. The 'long term' of course differs between groups of specialists working on these ideas: the smallest being 10,000 years and the highest being One millions years. Below are some of the ideas that the HITF has come up with so far, they currently have another 15 years before plans are submitted to the US Government in 2028.

The Ideas

1. Atomic Priesthood - Thomas Sebeok - A panel of experts who would be replaced by a council when needed
2. Satellites - Stanislaw Lem -  Artificial satellites that would transmit messages to Earth for a thousand years
3. DNA Coding - Stanislaw Lem - DNA with mathematical coding embedded in them, designed to reproduce automatically
4. Information Plants -  Stanislaw Lem -  Plants designed to only grow near nuclear sites, coded with locations & dangers
5. Radiation Cats - Francoise Bastide & Paolo Fabbri - Cats that would change color dramatically near radioactive danger
6. Warning Signs - Vilmos Voigt -  Signs added (never removed) every so many years with the evolution of language shown
7. High Tech -  Emil Kowalski - only house in buildings that require a high tech generation, they will likely understand more
8. Marking Deep Time Studio - Jamie Kruse & Elizabeth Ellsworth - signs marking every nuclear site ever

But that's just the future plans, here's what they already have underway in this facility:

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - Carlsbad, New Mexico

 Passive Institutional Controls -  

1. Outer perimeter wall that covers 4 square miles made of granite that is 25 feet high, that wall surrounds another 'earthen' wall 33 feet high, which also surrounds another wall of granite pillars. At the center is another smaller room also made of granite that gives all information needed to protect future generations from exposure.
2. Legacy - Distribution of all necessary information to all archives and libraries around the world.
3. Approved Languages: English, Spanish, Russian, French, Chinese, Arabic, Navajo, Modern Radiation Signs
4. Considered Languages: Pictograms, Stick Figures, Future Languages

That's some great prep work right there, DOE. Good work.

xoxo disaster girl

P.F.S. Links for the Curious

Human Interferece Task Force 

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (USA) 

Marking Deep Time Studio - Smudge Collab

String Theory & The God Particle as explained by Tim Blais

A Capella Science

McGill grad student Tim Blais is officially my new favorite youtuber. The videos Tim creates are genius mixed with unabashed silliness, the likes to which we've only seen once before in Einstein. Tim, if you see this- please keep making more! 

For the rest of you, Enjoy!

      xoxo disaster girl

Gulf Threats - Tropical Depression Karen - Updated 10/7 12AM

Tropical Depression Karen

Tropical     Storm     Karen

Max Ssd.  Winds:   30  MPH

Moving: North East at 2 MPH

Min.  Pressure:   1009  MB-

Last Updated: 10/ 07/ 2013

US Land  Impacts:  LA, MS,

AL,  GA,  FL,  - Gulf  Coast

Storm Related Events

-FEMA is doing a "limited recall" of workers in affected areas, over 80% were furloughed in recent government shutdown.
-Mississippi declares State of Emergency in preparation of storm-This storm is expected to make two landfalls, one in Louisiana and another in the Florida Panhandle
-Alabama declares State of Emergency due to likely impact from Karen.
-New Orleans & Louisiana declare State of Emergency ahead of Tropical Storm Karen
-Hurricane watches for coastal cities no longer in effect as of the morning of 10/5.
-Evacuation orders in Louisiana eased as storm loses punch.

All warnings discontinued as Karen dissipates and becomes a remnant low.

xoxo disaster girl

Where's the Gold? - Federal Reserve Refuses German Gold Audit

Federal Reserve Refuses Gold Audit

Tells Germany to Come Back in 2020

Ruh-Roh.

This news comes 8 months after Germany announced that it was going to relocate 674 tons of gold held at both the New York Federal Reserve Bank and the Banque de France in Paris. Apparently Germany asked to see its gold and the Federal Reserve said no, citing:  'No Room For Visitors'. Germany wasn't giving up though, so they sent staff to visit the reserves, but the Federal Reserve would only let them see 5-6 gold bars- and nothing else. Germany wasn't having that though so they sent another team in. On the third attempt the Federal Reserve permitted Germany to see only 1 of the 9 rooms that held their gold, they were also not allowed to enter the room or touch the gold. And then the Federal Reserve REALLY told Germany to come back in 2020.

Yes people, this is real- and it looks like those conspiracy theories about the  New York Federal Reserve and Fort Knox hold more water now than they did before. They very well may not have much gold in either facility, or the gold that is there very well may be fake. 

I honestly just don't even know what to make of this. If there's no gold in the Federal Reserve and all US currency is just a Federal Reserve Note, than isn't the dollar worthless? [See previous article from 2011: "The US Dollar’s Not Worth The Paper It’s Printed on." -Gerald Celente]

We may never know if gold actually is in the Federal Reserve either, as it has only been audited 'once' in its almost a hundred year history. As for Fort Knox, the last time it was officially audited was in 1953- an audit that contained no outside experts and only tested five percent of the bars housed there. There is voiced speculation from several US politicians as well, with many stating over the last couple of years that there may be little to no gold in either locations, demanding a public audit and testing of any gold found. The Federal Reserve has continued to refuse allowing such measures.

In closing, there are a few things that you should note. If there's no gold, there's no value to money. If there's no value to money, paychecks have no meaning and 9-5er's are fruitless. It would mean the entire collapse of the financial systems of the world and it would quite frankly be a fitting disaster scenario needed to end the Information Age Facade. Ignorance will not be bliss.

When money fails, humanity returns to bartering.

Keep Your Supplies Up!

xoxo disaster girl

P.F.S. Back Articles

Germany to Move 674 Tons of Gold 

Federal Reserve Refuses to Submit to an Audit of Germany’s Gold Held in U.S. Vaults 

Mystery about Germany´s Gold in the US Solved?